Boom! Studios 2019
Written by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Dan Mora
Coloured by Tamra Bonvillain
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
The McGuire family has held back supernatural threats for generations, but this time they messed up. As an ancient evil arises from the grave, Bridgette and Duncan find themselves up against forces bigger than they could have expected, and faces new and old are about to complicate things further.
Oh dog's bollocks you have got to be kidding me this is one is utterly sensational. I love Bridgette and she's probably one of the best characters to have come along in quite some time. She's sassy, unapologetic and knows her shite and is a complete badass, plus she she knows her way around a myriad of weapons. I mean who else is going to force their grandchild at gunpoint to take her places? It really makes the kind of impression that resonates with readers' so that they fall in love with her, her actions an her attitude.
The way that this is being told is phenomenal as the story & plot development and the character development weave their through one another as they reveal information, revelations and all these plot twists and turns. With the pacing all of this has an incredible ebb & flow to it making this an absolute joy to read. There really are so many aspects to this that engage the reader so that their minds take them off script and into what they know, think they know and wish would be happening. Plus who hasn't read this and tried to imagine their own grandmother trying to hold them at gunpoint, don't lie you know you did.
So while you are being engaged in the book you become invested in it as well. Not that it takes very long for that to happen as I'm sure most who've read the first issue already did in the opening sequence. So the opening for this one is beyond compare as we see Bridgette and Duncan having a conversation as he drives and she sits with that gun pointed at him. The whole thing is the bee's knees truth be told. The characterisation that comes from it and the family dynamic we see really does make liking these two ever more than ever.
The interiors by Dan and Tamra are absolutely gorgeous. The linework here is fabulous and to see the varying weights being utilised to bring out this level of attention to detail showcases the talent and skill that Dan has. Just the sheer fact that these people and places look like realistic comic book style folks is something to marvel at. The body proportions, how they are presented and mixed with the supernatural elements make this a dream come true. Seriously when you see the witch demons it's as cinematic as it gets and the readers' mind goes off script and visualises this in their head like it's a film. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a stupendous eye for storytelling. Gosh I love seeing Tamra's work. Her use of colour and how we see the various tones and hues in them to create shading and shadows is perfection. The gradation effect is sensational and how it all just comes together making the linework really come alive.
The way we are introduced further to the characters through their actions and what we hear about them is exceptionally well done. Everything that we have seen thus far only ignites the readers imagination and passion for this story. There is nothing else that we have seen that is quite like this and while there are elements that are familiar they pale in comparison that we are seeing here making this truly a unique and outstanding book.